


Bleak

by honestgrins



Series: Empty Promises [7]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, KCWeek18
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-07 23:55:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15918810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestgrins/pseuds/honestgrins
Summary: It hurts to see him give up.





	Bleak

Hope danced, blissfully unaware of her father's stupid plan as Caroline watched him soak in one last night before it all went to hell. Her heart clenched at the almost serene look on his face; worse, she couldn't even blame him. The promise of an eternity turned bleak at the thought of losing a child.

To be completely honest with herself, Caroline's future looked pretty bleak without him, too. She was tired of saying goodbye. "You're not going to tell her?"

"Not yet," Klaus answered, not looking back. He didn't want to glance away for even a moment. "I need her to focus on turning, preparing herself."

"She might not take the news well," Caroline pointed out.  _I know I'm not_. "Did I ever tell you about how my dad died? He thought he was making a noble choice, too." Shaking her head, she couldn't help the disappointment flooding through her. "Idiot. He would have loved the girls, seeing them grow up. But he missed it, all because he couldn't stomach a little blood."

Finally turning to glare at her, Klaus kept his voice low. "The Hollow is bit more precarious than feeding, sweetheart, and I can't allow it to consume Hope."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Duh, but you don't have to throw away your life for it either."

"What would you have me do?"

"What happened to the Original Hybrid that marched in and got his way, anyone and everyone else be damned?" she shot back, elbows shoved out from where her hands angrily set on her hips. "All you want, all at once, and you're giving up."

Klaus clenched his hands into fists, turning back to Hope. "For her? Absolutely."

Letting out a deep breath, Caroline fought against the sting of tears. 'Hopelessness' seemed too on-the-nose for the situation, but she couldn't begin to define how she was feeling past a futile despair. She couldn't exactly fault Klaus for saving his daughter, as much as she wanted to.  _All he wanted, all at once_. The words she threw so casually back in his face cut her like knives, the tempting possibilities held  _just_ out of reach thanks to evil magic. God, so much for last loves.

No.  _No!_  "That is not a solution, and you're not even trying to buy yourself time." Caroline turned on her heel, utterly done with the conversation and already headfirst in fix-it mode. Pulling out her phone, she tapped a contact she barely used. "Rebekah? I need to get ahold of Elijah before I kill Klaus myself."


End file.
